Dolly Parton has ‘not stopped crying’ over Grand Ole Opry tribute to late husband

Dolly Parton has “not stopped crying” over the Grand Ole Opry’s tribute to her late husband Carl Dean.

During the three-hour special, Opry 100: A Live Celebration, in Nashville on Wednesday, Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood, Lady A and members of the Opry’s choir took to the stage to perform Parton’s song I Will Always Love You in honour of her and Dean.

Addressing the emotional tribute on her Instagram Stories on Friday, the 79-year-old wrote, “I have not stopped crying over the beautiful tribute of I Will Always Love You on the 100th Anniversary of the Grand Ole Opry show.

“All those beautiful people with all their beautiful voices singing my song as a tribute to my husband Carl… the emotion was beyond words. I have cried enough to wash a great deal of the pain away so thanks to all of you beautiful people that helped make that possible.”

The country music icon signed off her post by adding, “I also will always love you.”

Parton met Dean outside a laundrette in Nashville in 1964, when she was 18 years old, and they got married in 1966. Dean, who never joined his wife at public events, passed away on 3 March aged 82.

According to Knox News, the Jolene hitmaker sent in a video message that was played before the tribute performance.

“Well hello, I am Dolly Parton and I am a proud member of the Grand Ole Opry,” she said of the country music institution. “And I am so sorry that I can’t be there with everybody in person, but of course, you know my heart is with you and my spirit is with you.”

Last week, she told Knox News that Dean “suffered a great deal” before he died and now she’s “at peace that he’s at peace”.

“I’m doing better than I thought I would. I’ve been with him 60 years. So, I’m going to have to relearn some of the things that we’ve done. But I’ll keep him always close,” she said. “It’s a hole in my heart, you know, but we’ll fill that up with good stuff and he’ll still always be with me.”